Updating the European digital identity framework

In 2021, the European Commission put forward a proposal to update the European digital identity framework. This would allow citizens across the EU to identify and authenticate themselves online (through their European digital identity wallet), share digital documents, and prove a specific identity attribute such as age. In parallel, the Commission adopted a recommendation to design a toolbox supporting the framework, to avoid fragmentation and barriers owing to diverging standards. After the European Parliament and the Council of the EU approved their negotiating positions on the proposal in March 2023 and December 2022 respectively, they reached a provisional agreement on the creation of a pan-European digital identity framework in November 2023. On 29 February 2024, Parliament endorsed the agreed text in plenary. After it was adopted by the Council, the act was signed by the co-legislators and published in the Official Journal of the EU on 30 April 2024. It entered into force on 20 May 2024. Fifth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.